Edited by Ravi Mahadeva .

Open Access .

The last decade has seen the emergence of COPD as a major health problem worldwide.

The recognition of this has stimulated the biomedical community to actively research in this area, towards understanding the pathogenesis of this devastating disease. This book contains a mixture of summaries of complex molecular pathogenic mechanisms, emerging new clinical entities and novel treatments. The book begins with sections on pathogenesis, innate immunity, anti-proteinase function and a review of the relationship between hypothesis, basic science and the development of a related treatment. These chapters are followed by description of the newly recognized association between pulmonary fibrosis within COPD and state-of-the art descriptions of novel bronchoscopic treatments and new strategies for the management of the common clinical problem of air leaks. It is currently an exciting time in COPD, and it is hoped that this book will stimulate further interest in this hitherto relatively neglected disease.